Describe the diversity of immunoglobulins among the different species of vertebrates.
Answers
Immunoglobulins (Igs) are essential molecules for the animal adaptive immune response and are expressed only in jawed vertebrates, including fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. ... Comparative studies have revealed three distinct mechanisms by which immunoglobulin V region diversity is generated.This review focuses on the diversity of immunoglobulin (Ig) genes and Ig isotypes that are expressed in domestic animals. Four livestock species—cattle, sheep, pigs, and horses—express a full range of Ig heavy chains (IgHs), including μ, δ, γ, ϵ, and α. Two poultry species (chickens and ducks) express three IgH isotypes, μ, υ, and α, but not δ. The κ and λ light chains are both utilized in the four livestock species, but only the λ chain is expressed in poultry. V(D)J recombination, somatic hypermutation (SHM), and gene conversion (GC) are three distinct mechanisms by which immunoglobulin variable region diversity is generated. Different domestic animals may use distinct means to diversify rearranged variable regions of Ig genes.